EDIT 19/04/12
THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS BLOG ARE MINE AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME AS THOSE OF THE INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS

For more recent material concerning the serious deficiency I have discovered in the C&G Police Syllabus for trainee Police Accident Invesigators see my blog:-
http://www.westmidlandspoliceauthority.wordpress.com

GCSE MATHS/STATISTICS (HGV accidents)

Peter Jones MInstP
Edit Feb 2011

These statistics are to be read in conjunction with those in Para 44 below and further results for LGV’s in my WMPA blog.

http://www.hgvaccidentstatistics.wordpress.com

The errors in the compilation of the HGV statistics should be easily understood by GCSE students and it would therefore be appropriate if teachers sought the permission of Head Teachers and Governors to send a representative sample of students’ comments to the West Midlands Police Authority. This type of activity provides a valuable link between school and the real world.

It is to be hoped that the WMPA ( and other police authorities) should in future ask the police to display their accident statistics on line so that students and the public can monitor the situation.

The HGV Industry has been concerned for many years over the safety of Articulated Lorries. This is revealed by the fact that they have had Articulated Lorries researched at Bath University, but not rigid HGV’s towing a trailer ( as far as I am aware).
(Put “The Dynamics of Towed Vehicles Killer CJ 2003” in to Google to see a M Eng project report. Page 9 end of para 2 justifies my above comment, and elsewhere in the same document is a description of the testing of the ALKO caravan/trailer stabiliser which I have previously written about in my blogs [para 31a and 36 below])

It can now be seen why we need to have three categories in the accident statistics for HGV’s:- (1) HGV’s (2) Rigid HGV’s towing a trailer and (3) Articulated Lorries.

HGV ACCIDENT STATISTICS

I must emphasise that these statistics contain the last public information (to the best of my knowledge) that the West Midlands Police issued on HGV accidents in their area.
These show that there were 2153 HGV accidents in the West Midlands Police area in the 5 years to 1994.
This gives an average of 8 HGV accidents per week ( national average for all Police forces = 5 per week in the same period) in the West Midlands and according to current DfT statistics more HGV accidents happen on motorways than class “A” roads.
No information was given as to whether the HGV’s were towing a trailer or whether the HGV was a “rigid” or an Articulated Lorry.

Academic entry requirements for police constables to transfer to accident investigation have never been published (as far as I can establish). It is my understanding that there are no entry requirements. Further more I have seen no evidence to show that there is a professional engineer (at least C Eng level) to advise the accident investigators.

___________________________________________________________________

Due to problems with the blog software I have pasted these statistics in to a new blog

http://www.hgvaccidentstatistics.wordpress.com

Peter W Jones  MInstP

I REGRET THAT THE BLOG SOFTWARE HAS PLACED THE NEW

                                              INTRODUCTION

          A  FEW PARAGRAPHS BELOW  AFTER PARA 31

 See also

www.improvingroadsafety.wordpress.com      the most rcent blog

plus

www.caravanaccidents2.wordpress.com    

www.caravanaccidents.wordpress.com 

www.20six.co.uk/roadtrafficaccidents

Advice for Physics and Maths teachers and the Younger Generation  (GCSE and GCE “A” level)

www.schoolminibusaccidents.wordpress.com     and

www.schoolminibustrailers.wordpress.com

Index

31  Highways Agency Fit to Tow Video

31a   Bath University Caravan Research

32  Summary of ideas behind Blogs by Peter W Jones

33  Air Speed Indicators

34  Lobbying Parliament

35  Letter to Dr Tony Wright MP

36  Bath University on Stabilisers (cont)

37  Stabilisers; further details

38  Letter to Mrs Dunwoody  MP

39  Caravan Stabilisers explained for

        non caravanners

40  IVRA Conversion Kit for Over run Brakes

41   History of New ALKO electronic conversion kit

42  USA Electric Brakes

43  Stabiliser test by Peter W Jones

44   HGV Trailers ( includes accident statistics)

45   Wind induced Road Accident

——————————————————————————-

 

 

Paragraph 31

THE HIGHWAYS AGENCY FIT TO TOW VIDEO (see their web site)

Peter W Jones  MInstP

The Highways Agency “Fit to Tow” video, presented by Carol Smillie, has been available for viewing on the inter net for some time.

I welcome the fact that the HA have now modified the DfT presentation of Caravan and Trailer accident statistics. (see my 2006 paper published by the HoC Select Committee on Transport by putting “Caravan and HGV trailer accidents” in to the search engine of www.parliament.uk )  

It is well known that the Caravan Club/Caravan Industry policy is that incorrect “load distribution” is  the main cause of towing accidents. I do not think it appropriate that this video, with a contribution from ACPO, should promote this viewpoint.  Bath University Research has proved that friction based stabilisers do not improve safety and  hgv’s can destabilise caravans. The HA in other published items is also now warning caravanners of the effects of strong cross winds and these factors will cause problems even when your caravan is correctly loaded and you are towing with a suitable tow car.

With regard to the towing of trailers with no brakes the HA is assuming that the tow car brakes will be adequate to stop a 0.75 tonne trailer. However, this will not be the case if sharp braking is used at normal motor way speeds. When the tow car brakes sharply, If the trailer is directly in line with the tow car the trailer will rise and smash into the back of the car or pass right over the top if the HA suggested safety chain is unable to prevent this taking place. When the trailer and tow car are not in line the trailer will jack knife, and if the latter is much greater in weight than 50% of the tow car weight ( the legal limit ?) there is a high probability of the tow car being destabilised.

All this follows directly from Newton’s First Law of Motion.

The Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators reported in 2002 in their Journal that they had tested braking a tow car with an unbraked trailer at 40 mph and found that the trailer jack knifed every time.

Also see para 3a of my blog www.caravanaccidents2.wordpress.com  for an account of a related accident when the “over run” brakes failed to function.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 THERE IS A GAP HERE CAUSED BY THE REMOVAL OF THE DFT CARAVAN ACCIDENT STATISTICS AS PRESENTED BY CAROL SMILIE.

 

 

WORDPRESS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ABLE TO REPEL ALL HACKERS, but the section copied from the Highways

Agency is also in

  

www.caravanacccidents4.wordpress.com

  

Scroll down to line in bold type starting

“THE ANNUAL AVERAGE NUMBER OF  MILES

COVERED………”

 

12/12/09

see www.20six.co.uk/roadtrafficaccidents  

I WAS WARNED BY THE AUTOMATIC SYSTEM SOME TIME AGO THAT AN ATTEMPT HAD BEEN MADE TO BREAK IN

GCSE MATHS/STATISTICS

Previous Post

PARAGRAPH 31i
The over run brake on the trailer involved in the Selby Rail disasater is virtually identical to those used by schools, universities and rowing clubs affiliated to the Amateur Rowing Association when towing a trailer with a mini bus.

Peter W Jones MInstP
I have pasted the blog below into this site because 20.six.co.uk is again “off line.” The latter blog had been visited around 4800 times ( when I last gained access) with the hits greatly in excess of this figure, since publication in April 2007.

(15a) The Selby Road/Rail Disaster
Almost unchanged from my 2005 report to the itai
The investigation by the Police Traffic Accident Investigator (Steven W. Shone of Humberside Police) was reported on in the Spring/August edition (2002) of the Journal of the ITAI (see references section ). Steven Shone wrote that when he went to examine the trailer involved in this accident he found that “When the handbrake was released,the shoes did not return to their normal position, this being due to corrosion within the mechanism.”
Subsequently Steven Shone carried out a very detailed investigation as he was required to give evidence concerning the road worthiness of the trailer. Reports in the media indicate the verdict of the court was that the accident was caused by factors unrelated to the state of the trailer. However, I hope that the Caravan/Trailer industry will read this report with care and take account of the implications for road safety. I was not surprised to read of possible corrosion within the brake hubs as it is very difficult for any one other than the original manufacturer to dismantle the latest ( post 1993) brake hubs ( see Haynes Caravan Manual Page 48 onwards).
The majority of caravans will stand idle over the Winter; some caravans are exposed to a salt laden atmosphere if used in the Winter or kept near the coast; boat trailers are regularly immersed in water. I did not have trouble with brake parts or wheel bearings corroding in the 12 years I regularly used a boat trailer as I kept the wheel bearings well greased, and due to the easily dismantled taper bearings on the wheels could easily apply a little high melting point grease to any part of the brake mechanism that I thought needed it.
Mr Shone did eventually conclude that the brakes of the trailer he was investigating did return to effectiveness after a period of use, but this was a commercial trailer which would be unlikely to be out of use for considerable periods of time.

This report also stated that, “Further examination ( of the brakes) showed that although the brakes would now act on all four wheels, they were not all capable of resisting being turned by hand when the over-run device was applied to its maximum amount of travel.”
In this case Mr Shone was put to an inordinate amount of trouble, because, unlike other road vehicles there is no legally specified test for caravan and trailer brakes. He could only test the brakes on a private road using a special device placed in the car footwell which measured deceleration. He concluded that the brakes did conform to current legal requirements

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Case against Over Run Brakes
10cii
SUMMARY 2
I wrote about this in my blog
http://www.caravanaccidents2.wordpress.com
Starting at paragraph 1e, and in
http://www.20six.co.uk/roadtrafficaccidents
paragraph 12a
The material in these blogs is an update of a paper I produced for the Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators in 2005. This was not published, but most of the material had been well circulated via the private Yahoo web site for Accident Investigators

The Selby Rail Disaster
Some years ago a Land Rover Defender towing a trailer with over run brakes and carrying a fairly large car ran on to the main railway line whilst the driver was sleeping (this was the verdict of the Court) right up to the last short distance to the point of impact with the passenger train.
See para 2c in http://www.caravanaccidents2.wordpress.com and para 15a in http://www.20six.co.uk/roadtrafficaccidents
I have owned a Land Rover Discovery for 11 years, as well as a Jaguar 21 Sailing Cruiser with road trailer for 19 years. The latter is comparable in weight with the trailer plus car in the above accident. My Discovery is mechanically almost the same as a Defender and as the latter type was not available to the police for testing the trailer which survived the accident (the train only hit the Land Rover) the police used a Discovery similar to mine to do their tests ( my information comes from an article in the Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators Journal).
I have towed the Jaguar 21 far enough to learn about towing this weighty object; I towed my previous sailing cruiser (a Bradwell 18) around 8000 miles in 12 years, between various coastal harbours and non tidal rivers in Wales and the Midlands.
I have frequently pulled my current sailing cruiser up a steep shingle beach, and of course gone down the same slope when launching. I need to engage the “locking differential mechanism” and use
the low ratio gear box to do this.
(When I had a Rover 3500 SD1 SE V8 I had to use a long rope and block and tackle to pull the boat up the same slope).
I have looked at railway embankments of different types, from the train, and from the top near roads.
I think that if I had woken up some distance down an embankment when I was driving my Discovery but not towing, I could have avoided getting on to the track. I would first of all have turned at about 45 degrees to continue at a slightly reduced speed due to the reduced gradient. When I reached the bottom I also think that I could have turned again to run parallel with the track.
The Land Rover driver who caused the Selby Rail Disaster was an experienced professional tower of trailers and would be even more familiar than I am with the dangers resulting from turning whilst towing such a heavy trailer with over run brakes. He kept the outfit going straight on as I would have done. Trying to turn would have been a worse option as at the time the train was not in view.
The police spent an enormous amount of time testing the trailer that survived the disaster intact, as the train only collided with the Land Rover. The police proved that the trailer met the requirements as laid down by parliament. If their tests had shown otherwise the man may have been given a lighter sentence or even acquitted.
It has been about two years since I wrote my report for the ITAI and I now think that the police should have run additional tests on the trailer as it may have been possible to show that although it did comply with the law, it could possibly be demonstrated that it was dangerous to turn same in such a situation. This would mean, (if demonstrated in the tests), that the trailer was a subsidiary cause of the accident and that this may have given rise to a different verdict/sentence or a “Rider” concerning over run brakes. (Roll bars are common in vehicles used for off road events, as is the use of full safety harness, so non professional testers should be well protected).
This is very much the “Science of Hindsight” many years after the event. I do not think that at the time of the crash any serious doubts had been raised concerning over run brakes. The brake actuating mechanism was first introduced about 1929 and at the speeds most trailers were pulled at in those days I am not surprised that few problems showed up. It is since the development of fast roads and the increase in the popularity of recreational towing that concern about caravan/trailer safety has increased.
If the defence solicitors had seen any evidence that this was the case I am sure they would have insisted that the matter was investigated.
I do not wish to suggest that the police or any one else reopen this case in court.
However, I do think that all road users will wish to have this matter evaluated if the hypothetical case I have outlined above fits the layout of the embankment at the crash site. If there is not a match and it is felt that the gradient at the crash site is too steep for any evasive action to have been taken, I hope that tests will be carried out on a slope more typical of most embankments, as well as on flat tarmac roads in a testing site. (I am not proposing that a railway embankment is used, unless it is a disused railway and disused railways may have great numbers of trees and not be typical of those in use).
These results would also be available as evidence for future court hearings. The Police Accident Investigators could repeat the tests if they thought it necessary.

As far as I know Bath University were not asked to investigate over run brakes.

In my Blogs (see first reference above after main headings) there is a description of a jack knifing accident, and even though I only obtained my information from the TV news and Radio 4 news, I think there is enough to show that there is a serious problem with over run brakes in the case I quote.
Tests should also be carried out to replicate the swerve made by the driver in the above accident (a) using a trailer with over run brakes and (b) using a trailer with electric brakes.

Caravan, Trailer and HGV Accidents

Bath University Research on Caravans

Paragraph 31a

Peter W Jones MInstP

I am pleased to note that people are reading the Bath University Research to such an extent that Google have now placed this item almost as high as

www.thedailynovel.com 

The above is my brother’s attempt to run an internet newspaper.

He has only been working on this since he eventually gave up part time work at City University about 12 months ago.  He retired from his full time post as Senior Lecturer in Journalism some considerable time ago.

_______________________________________________________________ 

University of Bath

School of Mechanical EngineeringTHE DYNAMICS OF TOWED

VEHICLES

An experimental study into caravan snaking

Final year project

submitted by Christopher J Killer

for the degree of MEng

of the University of Bath

23 May 2003

Assessor RFN

Supervisor JD

Technician PC

__________________________________________________________

Peter W Jones.

The following are a few items of importance that I have pasted in. 

_____________________________________________________________

2.1

. This is manifested in the fact that nearly all snaking accidents involve caravans.

_______________________________________________________________

PWJ

Caravans are the most numerous of the high aspect vehicles in this class

————————————————————————————————————–

Extensive studies into articulated lorry dynamics have been done, but due to the hobby nature

of caravanning there has been little money or academic interest in this field until

relatively recently.

2.2.1

Friction yaw dampers were found to increase stability; they reduced the amplitude

of oscillation and hence reduced the settling time. However, it was shown that the

stabiliser could not contain unstable oscillations if the situation would otherwise

become unstable without dampers. This was due to limitations of the moments

generated by the stabilisers.

2.2.5

It was discovered that stability reduced with both speed and stability and towing

coefficients. Thus a fast moving caravan with a large mass distributed around the

perimeter would be highly unstable. It was also confirmed that a heavy tow ball load

was more stable than a light tow ball load, and that it is beneficial for the caravan

mass to be low in comparison to the car

2.2.6. This theory is backed up by the fact that snaking does not occur

when the trailer is light and the car is heavy.

2.2.7.1.Even a powerful yaw damper was found to

increase the snaking speed only a little, so generally it was considered an

unsatisfactory solution to the snaking problem

.2.2.7.2 Part 2: active caravan braking

A virtual braking system was developed in light of the results in Part 1. It consisted

of a control system that applied a brake to the caravan wheels in phase with the roll

oscillations, providing the greatest force when the tyre load was at a maximum.

Very effective stabilisation of the snaking vibrations was demonstrated in a variety

of circumstances, many of them much too challenging for friction dampers to deal

with. The power consumption requirements were easily manageable and the

technology is much closer to a prototype as a result of the work

 

See also paragraph 36 below

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 PARAGRAPH 32

 

SNAKING CARAVANS AND TRAILERS (INCLUDING HGV TRAILERS

 

Peter W Jones  MInstP

Retired Head of Science in a Birmingham Comprehensive School ( 20 years)

Currently, “Consultant for Towed Vehicle Accidents” (5 years)

Apart from 19 months national service ( ie conscripton) in the RAF my entire career (almost) has been as a full time teacher. I was a comprehensive school Head of Science for 20 years, but I also spent 7 years as a full time lecturer in a Birmingham Technical College (Further Education Sector).

This blog, and the two linked to it, have therefore turned out to be an untidy set of notes and resource material for teachers/lecturers. After 41 years as a teacher I have difficulty switching to the right mode when writing.

I started advising on oscillating trailer accidents in 2003 (after I had been retired  for 10 years) when I became an Affiliate of the Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators. I had no desire to become an “Accident Investigator” but learned a great deal by reading their journals,  attending some of their meetings/courses, and particularly by exchanging scientfic information concerning road traffic accidents via a private internet site which was used by many ITAI members.

I was also an Associate Member of the Society of Expert Witnesses for a further 12 months and derived great benefit from their extensive written legal advice for “expert witnesses,” and their “mentoring support.”

I am not allowing a direct connection with myself via the web as I was originally  (in 2007) almost put out of action by “comments” to my blog on 20six.co.uk which were mainly pornographic. I am currently relying on private contacts and exploring other means of advertising at low cost as I am working on a charitable basis in support of road safety. My blog details have been circulated by a group of interested solicitors and I am always available to give advice by telephone, particularly as most questions can be answered by reference to items I have written and published on the net. If the solicitors have a problem with passing on technical information I am prepared also to discuss the matter by telephone with the Accident Investigators.

—————————————————————

Addendum Oct 2009

Technorati/Wordpress, as you will see on the internet, have from the beginning of October 2009, started to give more prominence to my blogs. They are keen to promote blogs of a Scientific/Technological nature.

A feature of the new system is that comments are allowed, but these will be carefully screened to eliminate spam.

 ——————————————————————–

VOCATIONAL COURSES FOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT INVESTIGATORS, ROAD SAFETY OFFICIALS, AND HGV drivers.

Leaving out my “political” offerings most of the items I have written about should  be considered for inclusion in the above courses.

SCHOOL LEVEL WORK

GCSE Physics;  The effect of the centre of Mass of a vehicle on its stability is one item I have taught at this level.

I expect that there is at least one of the many courses for GCSE which contain some Physics for which my lever test for friction based caravan/trailer stabilisers would be a good “practical application.”

I have used Newton’s First Law of Motion to explain why it is very foolish of us to allow unbraked trailers (up to 0.75 tonnes) to be used on our motor ways.

Vectors using scale diagrams

 

GCE “A” level Maths (Theoretical Mechanics/Applied Maths) and GCE “A” level Physics

I have made use of Vectors in writing about the effect of the wind on high aspect vehicles and although I later had the better idea above I originally used some equations of motion to show very approximately that friction based stabilisers could not make any significant contribution to bringing a snaking trailer under control.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See also

www.20six.co.uk/roadtrafficaccidents

www.caravanaccidents.wordpress.com

 

www.caravanaccidents2.wordpress.com 

 

Paragraph 33 

 

Air Speed Indicators

.

Peter W Jones MInstP

.

.In drawing attention to the need for the above I am suggesting a change that has not, as far as I know, been proposed elsewhere.The Caravan Industry and the Caravan Clubs have regrettably resisted the use of safer technology for some years and have left the EU/UK very much in a technological backwater, whilst the air craft industry (Air Bus) are now amongst the world leaders.As Standen’s 1999 Bath University Phd thesis (Towed Vehicle Aerodynamics) still only resides in the British Library on microfiche, few people are aware of the fact that he proved in wind tunnel tests (with scale models) that an HGV could destabilise a car/caravan combination and aerofoils improved the stability of a caravan.In 2003 when I was using the Road Traffic Accident Investigators private Yahoo e mail system and circulated the above and other details of the Bath University research I discovered that the aerodynamic research mentioned above was quite unique far beyond the EU, and the fact that it must also at least apply to some HGV trailers ( the need for aerofoils) was also not known.

However, it may well be that research has been done that has not been published.

Even with aerofoils and electronic brakes there will still be an upper speed limit for all vehicles, particularly trailers, which must be decided on the basis of the Laws of Physics and then enshrined in Government regulations as is already done in a similar manner for the air craft industry.

I do not think it will ever be necessary to take as many precautions for solo vehicles as if you cannot sense yourself the effect of the wind on the vehicle you are driving, you should not be in charge on the road. When towing a trailer there is another vehicle to be considered with very different characteristics, and an electronic system is needed to give information about the forces on the trailer as well as an air speed indicator.

Designing a suitable air speed indicator for use by road and rail vehicles will be comparatively easy once the need for same has been accepted. All that is required is a “weather vane” (to sense direction) and rotating parts ( to sense speed) .   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The direction that the “weather vane” would point is determined by the wind produced by the forward motion of the vehicle and the wind ( if any) resulting from natural weather fluctuations. The software would then convert this into a “Head wind” component (in mph) and a “side wind” component. The two speeds would be displayed for the driver to read.

The maximum safe air speed ( road speed plus head wind component) must be established for each vehicle, but this as with aircraft will vary depending on the load being carried.

Similarly the side wind component will vary, but for the driver (as with the pilot) this only has to be looked up once in a set of tables for each journey. There would have to be anemometers in exposed places at the side of major roads to send out details of side wind speeds by radio ( information is currently transmitted by the RAC that determines “congestion points” by measuring traffic speed at many points on all major roads in the UK).

For minor roads drivers would still have to depend on the wind speed forecasts given by the met office, as we shall still have to do for some time in all cases.

Even if there are no fatalities or serious injuries every time an HGV trailer over turns or otherwise gets out of control we have a major problem as it takes some hours to get a crane to the site which is capable of lifting up the wreckage. A caravan is easily pushed out of the way by a Police Land Rover.

When considering the costs of my proposals the lost productive hours of the many thousands of people caught up in resulting traffic jams should be taken into account.

Currently I do not think the DfT have any records concerning HGV or caravan accidents resulting from the effects of the wind, as this in the past has not been properly recognised as a serious problem.  

 

.

Addendum 5-11-08.

It seems that I was seeking information concerning currently available anemometers for road and rail vehicles in the wrong place. I should have used Google !

There are suitable appliances on the market that will only need a comparatively minor modification ( to the software only in some cases) to meet the requirements of locomotives and road trailers.

It is most probable that suitable hardware already exists and the only remaining task is to programme same so that the “air speed” and “side wind component” can be displayed.

I have also recently realised that I have failed to draw attention to another aspect of this matter. Formula 1 racing cars and HGV’s with trailers frequently travel at about 100mph air speed, but only the former have the benefit of aerofoils to help keep them in good contact with the road and more able to resist any side forces from the wind. Racing cars are viewed by thousands of spectators and officials are prompt in their control of the situation when extreme weather conditions apply. On the motorways little can currently be done by traffic police in the same situation as critical air speeds and side wind components need to be known for each type of vehicle, as is the case for air craft.

However as I feel certain that the anemometers/air speed indicators that I have outlined above could be produced at a reasonable price and even if they were only half as popular as GPS navigation ( and I feel certain they would cost much less), a considerable contribution could be made towards reducing accidents because drivers would use their own judgement. Governments would then eventually legislate to ensure that ( as with the air craft industry) the critical speeds for each type of vehicle were stated in the manufacturers’ manuals for drivers.

 

ADDENDUM  22-11-08

I have now written to several manufacturers of anemometers and had one positive reply.

www.biral.com    of Portishead, Bristol, UK  sell a suitable anemometer which only needs extra software to be written to convert to my above mentioned specifications.

edit 30-09-09

I received a quote from biral.com of around 1500 pounds sterling (UK) for the above during the Summer.

This type of cost will be considered reasonable when more people become aware of the reduction in accidents that would result. However, Governments would have to legislate before the HGV industry would install these devices.

For recreational trailer towers like myself  the cost would be unacceptable at present and I shall continue pestering our Met Office to make more widely available their internet wind speed forecasts. I can always use the internet beore I leave home, but this Summer found myself having to restrict my speed considerably on one journey because I failed to get to an internet cafe before setting out. In another instance I made a detour to avoid the M5 bridge over the river Avon when it may not have been necessary. However, I have lived to start my 34th year of receational towing if the cancer clinic eventually discharge me tomorrow after 5 years of “monitoring.”

 

Lobbying Parliament

Para 34

Lobbying Parliament

Peter W Jones MInstP

..

I have several times attended at Westminster for the purpose of “Lobbying,” but I was always accompanied by many other affiliated members of the TUC.I have recently come to realise that lobbying by persons who are employed by the “Corporate Sector” is far more effective and I am endeavouring to draw attention to one particular item where the Corporate Sector have made a Scientific Error on the same scale as King Canute. He was reputed to have sat on his throne on a beach with the object of preventing the incoming tide covering the beach. Corporate Sector Lobbyists have clearly managed to convince parliament that however strongly the wind blows, it cannot possibly be of danger to road traffic (even high aspect HGV’s and Caravans.)Accordingly I wrote to Dr Tony Wright MP on this subject and I have printed his reply below... 

(see www.20six.co.uk/roadtrafficaccidents  Section 18b, for details concerning the effect of the wind on road vehicles)

********************************************************

 

 

 

 

 

Para 35   Letter from Dr Tony Wright MP 

Dear Mr Jones,

Thanks for your letter.

The subject matter of your letter is of course not within the remit of the Public Administration Select Committee, but it does offer an interesting insight into the role of lobbying. I shall bring it to the attention of the Committee.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Wright

Dr Tony Wright MP (Cannock Chase)
www.tonywright.org

—–Original Message—–
From: peterw****************************
Sent: 07 March 2008 19:18
To: Public Admin Committee
Subject: Committee on lobbying

Peter W Jones MInstP
Consultant for Towed Vehicle Accidents
HGV Trailers, Caravans and Small Trailers Charitable Status to be Applied for

www.caravanaccidents.wordpress.com

Tony Wright MP
Chair of the Committee on Lobbying

Dear Sir,

Although I have been in receipt of e mails from the HoC on all committees I had over looked the relevance of your work to mine until John Humpreys enlightened me at about 0745 today on Radio 4 News.

I wrote to the Hon Mrs Dunwoody MP in late 2005 concerning the lobbying by the Caravan club ( via two MP’s whose names were at that time listed in “members’ interests” as being paid to lobby by the Caravan club).

The Caravan Club sponsored a considerable amount of research that was carried out by the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Bath University; some of this gave rise to two Phd theses and an Mphil thesis. On the basis of this research Caravan Club officials assured myself and about 120 other CC members present at a meeting at the Thistle Hotel, East Midlands Airport in March 2003 that matters I had reported on concerning caravan instability were quite irrelevant as they had had everything researched at Bath university.
Their long held policies on caravan safety had been proved to be correct.

When I eventually managed to obtain and read these theses I found that the CC were seriously misleading the membership (and possibly the HoC) and since March of 2007 I have had blogs on the web setting out in detail my reasons for this allegation.

Mrs Dunwoody wrote that she would be pleased to consider any report that I wished to make that was within the existing terms of reference of the House of Commons Select Committee on Transport. Accordingly you will find in Hansard for February 2006 a report I wrote concerning Caravan Accident Statistics and the lack of adequate monitoring for wind speed by the Highways Agency (NB It was revealed this last weekend that Network Rail also fail to monitor for wind speed).

I gathered from John Humphreys’ news item that the committee enquiring into lobbying were so alarmed by the fact that firms of lobbyists were specialising in misleading Parliament, (and that some MP’s were
involved,) that they would wish to sweep this item back under the carpet.

Accordingly I am directing this letter via your committee’s press secretary, to emphasise the fact that I shall also be attempting to publish this material.
However, do not be unduly alarmed as the BBC have three times spurned items I have sent them, two having been rejected by BBC Watchdog.

Yours faithfully,

Peter W Jones

__________________________________________________

Para 36 Stabilisers; Bath University

 

 

Para 36

Peter W Jones MInstP

The above graph and the photograph below have been copied from the Bath University Report (see further below).

The electronically produced graph above shows the effect of an ALKO stabiliser on a snaking caravan (blue graph).  The red part of the graph shows the oscillations without the stabiliser in place. This graph should have appeared in the space in the account below.

The photograph below shows the ALKO stabiliser tested by Bath University.